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Some misc info from Los Angeles event

Some misc info from Los Angeles event

I attended the Los Angeles 3rd street Promenade Store Opening and was able to get some more info on a wide range of stuff.
Here's some miscellaneous info across the board:

* Tesla is actually still developing the 40 and 60 battery packs. They are not complete which is why the 300s are going first. Everything they worked on was the 300 first.

* The battery pack you order will largely dictate your delivery. They aren't building all 300s only, but the lower battery packs will sprinkle in at the beginning. This is not an assembly line thing according to the rep I spoke with.

* I asked about grey leather interior delaying delivery. He was unsure if that was still true. He was going to check for me.
The grey leather is very light. I'd day 20% grey, maybe less, but not white at all.

* All the performance cars come with different colored piping on the trim of the seats. Black leather had red piping, but other colors like grey had a different color. None were the same from what I recall.

* He showed me an interactive tool to figure out your electric costs per year. It was averaging just under $600 for EV car like Tesla. It was around $6k if you got around 22 miles per gallon on your ICE car. Over 120 months at 22mpg, you were looking at roughly 22k in gas. It was about 5k in electric if I remember correctly.

THIS IS THE ONLY CAR YOU CAN BUY (non-collector) THAT WILL BEGIN TO PAY FOR ITSELF AS TIME MOVES ON!

* I'm 5' 10" and I sat in the back of a Performance S. My head was hitting the roof. There was no pano in this model.
Over the driver seat the rep was sitting in with no Pano, he had an inch or two of clearnace and he was 6' 4". There is a carve out towards the sky in the roof of the S that has no Pano. FYI. Makes the ceiling a little strange looking to me.

* the ambient lights are under the backseat door handles and thats the only place.

* two small overhead lights in the ceiling over the 17" screen were operable by screen and by physically pushing on them.

* The handles on the car as slick as sh$t! They are slow though.

* backup camera display was messed up in the car I was in. Showed a split image and it looked like a reflection issue. Was weird but rep said they can fix it in software and download it to you. The beauty of it.

* Car felt smaller than I was expecting while sitting in the back. I'm not a big guy but not small either. I wouldn't say I had very much room and again, my head was touching the roof if I didn't slouch or lean back a bit.

* Wireless question wasn't answered. He said no dongle for connectivity but then this model had a USB one in it. Maybe for the event they had to? I think he said we could pick our carrier.

* I asked three different people about the TBD nationwide charging for the 60 and 85 and nobody would budge on it. They simply would not tell me how much or if it was a monthly fee or what. Sort of annoying. I can't imagine a monthly charge. This is the sort of thing where it should be pre-paid or pay as you go. Maybe one time activation BS fee.

* Delivery option is only personal delivery. It can be to anywhere. One Price. $990. That's it. It's $990 even if they deliver to plant at Fremont.

* A Rep said it has twice the cargo space as a 550i.

* tan interior is slightly on the mustard-y side, but not saturated like mustard. Think closer to Grey Poupon.(sp?)

* Model X is slick as hell too.

* Carbon fiber in a number of places on the Model S Performance. Crap I want that version.
Carbon on the center console towards the back between the seats. Two vents for AC/heat from the center console to the back seats. Doesn't look like dual climate for back seats but unsure about that. May be screen operated.

* Two drink holders in center between seats a part of the console which moves forwards and backwards. Sliding movement.

* small horizontal compartment under 17" screen to place phones and such. Only a 2" opening but deep enough to put a DVD in?

* Air suspension is the ONLY option right now. There are no other suspension systems because they are working on them now. The alternatives are not completed.

* Safest Sedan around because of tension bar that spans the front axel where normally in an ICE the engine would be. It, along with low COG and the battery pack pan on the bottom make for an extremely rigid and safe ride.

* Acceleration is smooth and strong. Gone are the days of feeling the gear change. Regen breaking is pretty strong but can be dampened from inside the car under controls. Thank Roadster owners for this because they demanded it.

Thats about what I remember. Feel free to question me about anything and maybe I'll remember.

peace out.

Ohms.Law |
29 juni 2012

+1 Scwins. Thanks!

ThomasN |
29 juni 2012

Can someone measure the internal dimensions of the rear seat console storage? Is it big enough for iPad, net book, laptop?
Thanx

NJS1207 |
1 juli 2012

Thanks Scwins, this is great information. Where are the USB ports? Is there one in the small horizontal compartment under 17" screen?

TikiMan |
1 juli 2012

tortorjo,

I asked the same question at the test-drive event, and was told the USB port or iPod port would likely be right below the current front center armrest / cup holder area. The vehicle I tested only had a standard lighter-power port there.

I was also told that the touch-screen software was far from complete, and although it is operable for the current test cars and early deliveries, I got the feeling they are still working on a final production version for the majority of the final production versions of the car. Thus, some early deliveries might not be seeing the final version of the software until they start delivering production versions.

Teoatawki |
1 juli 2012

The USB ports are on the front of the cupholders along with a 12v socket.

Note the slot under the screen is part of an "opportunity console" option, not a feature of the production cars, AFAIK

TikiMan |
1 juli 2012

My test car had the compartment below the touch-screen, however didn't have an opportunity-console in it, so I think that compartment is standard on all cars.

Teoatawki |
1 juli 2012

Well, that would be very nice, indeed! Based on the TMC "opportunity console" photos, that compartment's proportions appear to vary based on which console option is pictured. Hopefully I can get a good answer this Friday in Seattle.

ddruz |
1 juli 2012

That compartment is indeed very nice but IMHO it needs a door, lid or cover so that items placed in it are not visible to potential thieves. It is a step in the right direction but with its contents totally exposed it has only limited utility and does not address the need for concealed storage. With some type of lid or door, however, it would be quite handy.

bsimoes |
2 juli 2012

It is still not showing up on the "Design Studio," so I'm hoping that that is an oversight.

vouteb |
2 juli 2012

does it have a 'glove box'?

Volker.Berlin |
2 juli 2012

vouteb, yes.

It is opened with one of the two only physical buttons on the dash board. I heard someone mention that it has a electronic lock, so it can probably be configured such that, e.g., a valet cannot (easily) open it. I personally checked out the size in the Model S Beta that was at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year, and it's just a regular glove box, I think maybe even slightly larger than your average glove box.

Norbert.Vienna |
2 juli 2012

glove box --to be precise it is the right button beside the screen
and the left button is for the warning lights

I found the turn signal lever too low and kept hitting the cruise control by mistake. I think they should have moved the cruise underneath and farther away and kept the turn lever up higher. You dont really drive with your hands below 6 and 9 oclock. The subwoofer and bass did not work at all in my test car. I got the feeling these were all beta cars still being fiddled with. I also asked about a plastic key or something you could get wet, i.e. go surfing with. There was nothing possible although one tech thought about putting a lock box in the front bumper. A simple keypad on the door would be nice but then again they said you could not lock the key in the car anyway. I'm a little worried about unplanned lock outs from a malfunctioning or damaged key and having no place for a spare key. Rear camera was great but would also liked to have seen ultrasonic sensors as an option. These are all minor things, overall the car was incredible to see and drive.

foto |
2 juli 2012

Thanks phb for the photos. Looking at the pitures though, some of the shots show the rear seat with the cup-holder in place. Does the cup-holder fold away? If not, does it take the space one one passenger?

Teoatawki |
2 juli 2012

It is removable. Perhaps you could put it in the frunk's microwave when you needed that spot.

foto |
2 juli 2012

Removable? What? It should be integrated for God's sake. I'm heavily disappointed! I'm thinking I might have to wait for 2.0 or even 3.0.

B.Noing |
2 juli 2012

I also asked about a surfing key. No one had a solution other than hiding it in the bushes out of range or taking the battery out and putting it in a hidden lock box. Neither very practical or elegant. As many buyers will be active people and all electronics fail at some point, Tesla should provide a plastic emergency/wet key with a key hole somewhere. My vote would be under the taillight flap opposite the charger flap.

By the way, you can get a 10' longboard inside.

Brian H |
3 juli 2012

Met a house framer the other day carrying just the thing. A waist-holstered 12" crowbar!

Vawlkus |
3 juli 2012

Actually, all Tesla would need is a necklace or bracelet or something similar with the RFID tag built into it (even a ring could work). Those would be waterproof and would let you unlock & drive afterwards.

Volker.Berlin |
3 juli 2012

Vawlkus, clever! We're so stuck with our 20th century way of thinking about keys that RFID technology looked like a problem to us where it actually is the solution. :-)

steven.maes |
3 juli 2012

Good thinking !!

jkirkebo |
3 juli 2012

They could maybe team up with a watch maker and produce a combined waterproof watch & RFID key ? With small buttons on the side to unlock the trunk, frunk etc.

calsailor |
3 juli 2012

That would be quite a unique option for such a unique vehicle.

I was already thinking how convenient (and cool) the matchbox car key is. You never have to take your keys out for anything since the car locks/unlocks itself with the tech package.

I really hope Tesla sees this idea and considers it. Very forward thinking for the car that is revolutionizing how we think of vehicles.

Even as a paid option it would be a very convenient. I can see other options as well: a card you put in your wallet, built into your iPhone case, a bracelet. But an official Tesla watch would be awesome. Though after buying this car I'll have no money to purchase said watch!

Can I view the car's charge status and rear view camera on that watch too :)

I want this!!!

Slindell |
3 juli 2012

With Bluetooth-connected sun glasses so I can see the display in HD!

B.Noing |
3 juli 2012

The waterproof necklace or watch idea is brilliant! Tesla I hope you are listening.........

steven.maes |
4 juli 2012

+1 for necklace or watch

Brian H |
4 juli 2012

Or get yourself chipped, like your dog Arfer.

Vawlkus |
4 juli 2012

Put this in the other thread, but I'll echo it here as well: what do you get when you cross a flat RFID tag with a patch like a smoker wears? A cure for loosing your keys :D

BYT |
4 juli 2012

I don't wear any jewelry or a watch but hope they have a great, secure app for Android and iOS instead also as options to get into my Model S as alternated to the FOB.

EdG |
4 juli 2012

How about face recognition and/or doing a "signature" dance in front of the backup camera? [Does Kinect do something like this?]

Set the "unlock via backup camera app" mode. May need some sort of lighting if you get back in the dark.

bsimoes |
4 juli 2012

My computer recognizes me with a finger scan; that's how I log in. If nothing else, this would make a nice backup system that I don't imagine is too expensive.

Timo |
4 juli 2012

Computer fingerprint scanners are surprisingly easy to fool. Trickiest part would be to get your fingerprint, but rest is easy. If you want it to be secure it should be palm blood vessel pattern scanner.

Anyway, RFID key to enter car is sufficient. Starting the rest of the car should be the hard part for the potential car thief. Because entire drivetrain depends of electronics and computing, it would not be too hard to make that part really hard (assuming CPU is not easily accessible).

Brian H |
5 juli 2012

Vawlkus | July 4, 2012 new
Put this in the other thread, but I'll echo it here as well: what do you get when you cross a flat RFID tag with a patch like a smoker wears? A cure for loosing your keys :D

That never happens. Weird thought. But if it cured losing keys, that would be great!
;)
:D